Crested Caracara Surveys

ETE has been conducting crested caracara surveys on a project in eastern Collier County. The objective of these surveys are trying to determine the location(s) of active caracara nests that could be adversely affected by work on the site, and to determine the presence and use of the area by breeding and non-breeding caracaras, including approximate boundaries of breeding territories.

Crested Caracaras prefer to nest in a single, isolated cabbage palm surrounded by open land with minimal trees or mid-story. Caracaras are highly territorial when it comes to their nest, and can have a 1km radius buffer around the nest, with a home range up to 3km. A resident pair will spend most of it’s time in this core area for the duration of the nesting season.